Mechanical Tyranny: Internal Errors
by TealDragonsUnite
Summary: Error. (Multi-crossover; set in the IRII universe - See DreamFluent's "Industrial Revolution II" for further information)
1. Chapter 1

It'd been over six months since Tera had last seen Omega fly. Even the last year or so of knowing him, he hadn't been in the sky much at all. She didn't know what to think of it other than that there was something wrong. She was right about that much, at least. She already knew that it wasn't going to get better… Omega wasn't even stable enough to move to a hospital.

It was raining that day. Tera rolled out of Dusty's hangar, immediately starting to shiver a little; it didn't matter that she'd already survived a couple Minnesota winters. It was still cold out. The crop duster had already gone out to do his morning training, likely an hour or so before she'd even woken up. The living arrangement was only temporary; while the two planes were officially in a relationship, Tera tried to stay with Omega as much as she could… or she could handle, anyways. Anything to do with mechanics still terrified her to no end, and most days it was all she could do just to be around them, even if it was just Dottie or Sparky. However, some nights were too much, either from emotion, lack of sleep, or some combination of the two.

Looking around the seemingly-empty town, she headed straight down the road to see if there was anything going on at Omega's hangar… it was obvious that there was, but the real question was what. And she'd taken the opportunity to sleep last night instead of staying up-to-date with the situation. She was beginning to hate herself for it, especially as she realized that anything could've happened in just a night. Dusty was coming down the street towards her, a worried look in his eyes.

"I was just about to come wake you up," he said quickly, "You gotta get down to Omega's… it's not good."

"What do you mean 'not good'?"

"...you might want to talk to Dottie about it. Tera…" he tried to say something, but the crop duster couldn't find the words.

 _No… nononono,_ was all the mix-breed could think, turning on her engine in panic and almost crashing herself when she made the short distance to the building and stopped, eyes wide with fear but also with a hint of anger. She was always at least a little annoyed. The air around the hangar hung thick, almost suffocatingly so. "I didn't mean to sleep in! What's wrong?!"

Dottie came out of the hangar quickly, pulling Tera aside and out of earshot of anyone else. "Look… no one can expect you to be calm about this," she started, obviously trying to choose her words wisely, but eventually giving up. The exhaustion in her disposition was all too clear. "...we all knew he wasn't going to make it. I've done everything I can and-" she paused for a second, trying to gather herself. "Right after you left last night everything went downhill… I don't know if he's going to have just hours or a day left. He was asking to see you."

Tera closed her eyes, not believing what she was hearing. She couldn't accept it, but at the same time tears were forming. "But… he can't die… not yet!"

"He's hurting. A lot. And I know for a fact that he's only still fighting because of you. Tera… I don't know what else to say. The kindest thing anyone can do is let him let go."

"I can't! Why do I have to... no…" She couldn't even argue with Dottie beyond outright denial. Tera already knew of Omega's condition… and she also already knew there was no saving him. "...Why does he have to...?" If anything, she was fighting with herself. Part of her understood that what Dottie had said was true, but she didn't want it to be… and sheer willpower wasn't going to help her this time.

"Tera, it's now or never. He's not going to last much longer whether you like it or not," Dottie told her, "You're going to regret it if-"

"I get it!" Tera snapped, forcing herself not to cry anymore. She could hardly put her thoughts into words. "I just didn't think-"

"Come on," Dottie said, deciding that Tera'd had enough time for the time being… no one had much time, and it was vital that Tera get over it for now. She had to say goodbye before the Warhawk gave out. "Let's go. It'll be okay."

"No it won't," the mixbreed responded, though taking a breath and following Dottie anyways, trying-for once-to compose herself before she knew she'd end up losing it.

When she entered the room, it was immediately apparent that the Warhawk was only just holding on, ready to slip away any moment. Despite the dull look Omega had obtained, he managed a soft chuckle. "Dottie's right," he muttered, "It'll be just fine."

"Omega!" she said on instinct, just glad she wasn't too late… she tried not to think about it. She couldn't. It hadn't happened yet. "I'm sorry I had to leave yesterday, I just-" she cut herself off, trying to think of anything she could say, but she couldn't. Not without trusting herself not to cry, anyways.

"You needed your sleep," Omega agreed, "I don't take offense." He looked up at her, "You alright, Tera?" He knew the answer already, but he wanted to comfort her only if she allowed him to.

"No," she said before she could catch herself, tears stinging her eyes again. "Why do you have to go?" she asked, trying to keep herself from actually crying. She knew she shouldn't ask… but at the same time, she truly didn't understand why vehicles ended up dying in the first place… and why it was always anyone she got close to.

Omega sighed, "I can't answer that, but I believe these times help us learn and grow." He gave the smallest hint of an encouraging smile, "Whether or not they're hard. And, Tera, you'll get over this, I promise you. I'm just one more friend you have to say goodbye to, and perhaps in some way we'll meet again. Heh… and you may just see your father then, too." Then his expression grew serious, "But that's not the only reason I needed to talk to you. I also needed to talk to you about Teeva. She's going to need someone to take care of her when I'm gone, and I don't think there's anyone more suited for that than you."

The plane tried to shift her focus to the dog Omega was talking about. Teeva had been there since just after Tera'd met the Warhawk to begin with, and now Omega wanted her to have her. She still couldn't stop herself from thinking about having to live without him… but at the same time she couldn't bring herself to admit it. "I'll do my best," she said finally, glancing around to try and keep herself composed… though it wasn't working. Everything in the hangar only made her think more about what was happening.

"That's all I ask," he nodded, wanting desperately to be able to comfort her, but finding no words to do so. "Come over here," he said, noticing that Tera was finding it more and more difficult to keep herself from crying.

She did as he asked, not able to keep a lid on her emotions anymore. She took a small breath, tears filling her eyes. "I wish I knew what to say, but…" she said, choking on a sob before she could finish.

"Shh," he said, making what effort he could to nuzzle her. "Death is a hard thing, I know, missy. You don't have to say anything… I just want to say I love you, Tera. You're… you're the daughter I never had. Just remember that. You're family."

Tera couldn't even speak… and she knew if she tried, it wouldn't be anything intelligible. She nuzzled him back, careful not to accidentally hurt him, but also not caring that she was crying anymore. It hurt too much. She didn't want to lose Omega… he was probably the only reason why she was even still alive after her father died. After a minute of two, she was finally able to say something. "...I don't want you to go…"

"I don't suppose I have much of a choice if I want to stay or not," he responded with a whisper. It was obvious he was growing weary with the exertion of the conversation, but he didn't move from his protective position, nor did he allow himself to sink into slumber.

Tera silently wished that there was an option… that Omega wasn't going to leave her… that the moments when she felt like she had someone to look up to weren't going to slip away again, but she couldn't help it. She also wished that she could stay there forever, but Dottie's quiet gestures told her otherwise. She didn't want to leave yet, but she reversed a little, looking Omega straight in the eye and trying not to cry much more. Something needed to be said. "Thank you… for everything," she couldn't finish what she had wanted to tell him without more tears. She couldn't keep herself from it. But even then, she didn't think there was anything more left to be said. "...I really hope I see you again."

"You're welcome," Omega nodded sincerely, "and I know we will."


	2. Chapter 2

It'd only been a few days since Omega had passed… it felt more like a few years had gone by, but Tera still hurt all the same. She was still staying in Dusty's hangar, though she didn't really sleep much either way. She was just glad he was okay with letting Teeva stay there, too, for the time being… if she could ever get her to leave Omega's hangar. She didn't understand… it'd already been days, and Teeva was still waiting in front of the hangar as if Omega had gone out flying or something. Tera'd already tried just about everything to get her to move, but nothing worked. The dog was determined to wait for a plane that wasn't coming home.

While the weather had cleared up for a few days, it was going to rain that day-in fact, it was already sprinkling a little. Tera had to get Teeva to go with her, or the dog was going to get sick… or so Omega had told her. Going back over to the now empty hangar for the third time in just a couple hours, Teeva remained unmoved from where she'd been laying before. "Teeva? Come on, it's gonna rain. You can't just sit outside."

The dog cocked her ears, wagging her tail a bit at Tera's voice but didn't seem to understand. She remained in her place, awaiting her master. With more coaxing, however, she left her spot for the first time in what seemed like forever. Walking over to Tera, she looked up at the plane and whined, glancing back at Omega's hangar as if asking her what was wrong.

She sighed. "Look… Omega's not coming back this time. We're going to Dusty's hangar for a little bit. You know who he is, don't you?" she asked, almost surprised that Teeva had actually gotten up and moved this time. Maybe they were making progress. She showed no sign of understanding, however, and simply moved about in a circle and lay down again. At least it was in a different spot, and she didn't seem situated to stay there either.

"You know what you need is a leash," it was Dusty's voice behind her. "I've got one for you… I spoke to Otter about Teeva, since he knows more about dogs than either one of us do, and he said we could borrow this one until we bought our own. He dropped the leash gently towards Teeva's collar, where a magnet immediately stuck to it. "You'd better take her," he said, slipping the leash over Tera's wing. "She needs to get used to you."

"Okay," she replied, turning and gently tugging on the leash for the dog to follow. She still wouldn't budge. "...I don't get it. She already knows me… but she won't leave this place. Come on, Teeva!" she said, obviously frustrated. It was all she could do to not just drag the dog along behind her. The rain was beginning to fall with more intensity, a gust of wind sending a chill through Tera. It made her think too much of just a few days before… not that it ever really left her mind in the first place. She forced herself to stop dwelling on it for now, putting her wing over the dog to keep some of the rain off of her.

Dusty shrugged, "I don't know… but Otter said we'd have to coax her to allow her loyalties to shift. From what he was saying, it could take a while." Whistling for the dog to come, Dusty tried to softly call Teeva, but still the dog wouldn't budge. "If we have to carry her home to get her out of this rain, I'll go get Dottie if you want?"

"No. She'd just come right back here the first chance she got," she said quickly, trying to make herself focus on the situation. Teeva didn't understand that Omega had died, for starters, but there was something else that wasn't right. Something was different. "Wait… where's her toy? She always had it…" she said, almost talking to herself as she looked around. It wasn't outside, and Teeva wasn't holding it. "...what if she left it in the hangar…" she wondered, moving the distance to the door, the leash stretched as far as it would go.

Teeva now followed, seeing that Tera was leading her towards Omega's hanger rather than away from it. Glad the dog had followed her, the plane pushed the hangar door open, knowing it wasn't locked anymore… it'd been mostly cleaned out with the exception of a few things here and there. Sure enough, the stuffed bear Teeva loved so much was in the corner by her bed. The dog bounded forwards to grab her toy, then spun around to face Tera, growling playfully. However, there was disappointment in her eyes when she did so, and her ears dropped back down. She walked to Tera's side and sat down, but did not lay down this time.

"I know…" Tera said almost apologetically, slipping the leash off her wing for a moment and just looking around. The condition of the hangar after only a few days made it feel more like an empty warehouse than where someone had once lived. "It's not really home anymore, is it?" The dog whined in response, as if in understanding.

"Tera…" Dusty said gently from just outside the hanger, "We'd better go before this storm gets any more severe."

The other plane stayed quiet for a minute… she didn't really want to go, even if she'd been trying to avoid the place to begin with. Teeva knew the hangar was still home, but maybe what she didn't understand was that both her and Tera had to move on… Tera herself didn't exactly get it, either. She didn't understand a lot of things. She turned back to face the crop duster, "...couldn't someone just rebuild him or something?" she asked, not able to get the thought out of her mind.

Dusty thought for a moment, appearing to mull over his response for a good length of time before responding. "He was… not… no. Tera, it'd be wrong… and, I'm sorry but… Omega's already gone. If there'd been any hope of saving him, Dottie and Sparky would have gone to the ends of the earth to do so."

She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and trying not to cry. "Sorry, I just… I guess I just don't understand why it had to be him that-" she said before a clap of thunder snapped her out of it for the time being. "Nevermind… you were right. We gotta go," she said quickly, figuring out how to get the leash on her wing again. "Come on, Teeva, it's not too far."

The dog listened this time, mostly due to the storm rumbling above. It was a known fact she hated thunder, and Teeva walked as close to Tera as she could without risking being run over. "Well, at least she's coming with us this time," Tera said, not exactly liking the storm much, either. The rain was becoming more heavy by the minute… almost to the point where they could hardly see what was ahead of them. As long as it didn't turn to ice she'd be okay, and in this time of year, it was still unlikely.

"Mhmm…" Dusty agreed, squinting into the pounding rain and traveling ahead of Tera and Teeva a bit, "We'd all better get dried off as soon as possible so there's no risk of any of us -especially your dog- getting a cold." When he was finished, they were already at the base of his hanger.

Tera nodded in agreement, helping get the doors open and making sure Teeva got inside… though she had never heard of a plane getting a cold just from being out in the rain, no matter how unpleasant it was. "I know Teeva's gotten sick from that before… but could either of us actually get like that, too?"

Dusty shrugged, "I don't really know, but I s'pose it's possible."

"But how? I mean… we've both flown through storms and nothing ever happened… but then Teeva's only been out there for a few minutes and last time that happened she got sick," Tera said, finding a towel and putting it over the dog as best as she could. She kept asking questions… but at the same time she almost didn't feel the need for them, like she was just talking in circles.

Dusty was about to mention that it was because of flying in a storm that Omega had first caught pneumonia, but he decided against it, as it was a touchy subject. "Yeah, but you have to think about the fact that we haven't flown through storms for an excessive amount of time, and animals tend to be a lot less durable than vehicles," Dusty mused.

"I guess… but…" Tera tried to figure out what she wanted to say… but she couldn't word it. Something didn't make sense, but then again both her father's and Omega's deaths didn't make much sense to her. Some things were just like that. "...nevermind. I'm probably overthinking something," she said, turning away slightly when Teeva shook out her fur and chuckling a little. She wanted go back to just living on instinct… it was so much easier than asking questions no one knew the answer to, but there was simply too much on her mind - and the storm meant she couldn't fly until she reached the point where she couldn't think anymore.

Dusty watched her for a moment, inwardly wishing that the Second Industrial Revolution wasn't so difficult to explain -and better yet, wasn't a banned subject.


	3. Chapter 3

It didn't matter how many days went by or how much she flew… eventually Tera just couldn't stop thinking. Things didn't compute, and every time she thought of the things that didn't make sense she had to fly, trying in vain to get rid of the incomprehensible ideas. It didn't help that Omega wasn't around anymore, either… and all Dusty did was dance around the question. Occasionally she tried talking to Otter, but even then something was amiss. Of course, it hadn't helped that Rush had just died, either… it seemed like the whole town was feeling what she was feeling in some form or another.

Yet she didn't understand what Omega had said about seeing him again. Once a vehicle died… there was no seeing them again. Ever. If there was, she wouldn't be in the predicament she was in. She missed Omega. The pain still hadn't faded, still-fresh memories playing back to her at random and only making things worse. She couldn't take it. She couldn't sleep. She had to fly… anything to get the thoughts out of her mind.

She almost considered just going alone, but the action in itself had almost become so instinctive that it didn't work anymore. Halfway to the hangar door, she changed her mind, going back and nudging Dusty a little. "Hey, wake up," she said, "I know it's early… but do you wanna go flying for a bit?"

Dusty was slow to respond, but nodded, "Hmm? Oh… sure…" He blinked groggily, "Just give me five minutes to wake up." He shook himself almost like a dog to rid himself of the blanket he'd draped over himself the night before, yawned a few times, and taxiied outside. "Everything alright, Tera?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, "Just couldn't sleep." Of course, she was lying a little, but the point still stood… she was not about to start venting this early in the morning. She had to get her mind off things. "No one's been racing around here, either… it's too quiet. I'll go get Clara and maybe we can have a little friendly competition to wake everyone else up. Sound like fun?"

Dusty grinned a bit, "Have you known me to ever turn down a race?"

"Never." The two planes rolled down the street a little ways, but it didn't take long at all to get to the hangar where Clara and Foxtrot were living. Tera knocked on the hangar door slightly, hoping that her sister would be the first to wake up… but after a few minutes, it was Foxtrot that answered.

"A little early for pranks, isn't it?" The F-18 was clearly still more asleep than he was awake, even if he was trying not to show it.

Tera rolled her eyes. "It's not a prank, Sleepy. We just wanted to borrow Clara for a little bit. Is she up?"

"Why would _anyone_ with sanity be up right now?"

"Foxtrot," Clara came up behind him, "Who is it? Oh… Tera, Dusty? What are you two even doing up so early. Sunrise isn't even for another hour or so."

"Tera had trouble sleeping and, well, we thought a midnight race might be in order."

"Yeah… what Dusty said," Tera agreed, almost sheepish for a minute before moving on, "It'll be fun! Wanna come?"

Clara cast a long glance towards the stars outside, "Sure… I s'pose a midnight flight wouldn't be bad. Let's go!"

"Awesome!" Tera said, starting her engine out of instinct and turning slightly to head towards the runway. "Oh, and see ya later, Foxy," she added quickly, to which all the F-18 could do was glare before he shut the door again. She just couldn't resist.


	4. Chapter 4

It didn't take long before the three racers were in the air, circling around the airport and trying to figure out a course for their impromptu competition. "There was a tunnel-looking thing in one of the bluffs over there," Tera said, gesturing to where she saw the rock formation, "Do we wanna use that as a finish line or something?"

Dusty shuddered a bit, "I'd really rather not." His encounter with the train on his first Wings Around the Globe Rally echoed distantly in his head -he'd been wary of tunnels since.

"Maybe just flying past it, then? Or something else?" All that was really left to deliberate _was_ the finish line, but at the same time they probably had to clear the airspace around the runway pretty soon… all of them had received a warning via radio just a minute ago about a transport plane that needed a bit more room than usual. "What do you think, Clara?"

"I think it works, or perhaps flying above that bluff? That way we could spot the transport plane earlier on, and if we needed to move we could do it quickly."

"Okay, let's do that. Ready, go!" Tera said, diving out of the circle and onto the first part of the path they'd agreed on, almost brushing a few stalks of corn before climbing back up a ways. Hopefully the move had put her in a sizable lead for now. Clara did the same, picking up as much speed as possible as she dived, but was careful not to lose so much when she began her climb. Dusty, however, stayed back, seeming to let the other two have their fun facing off on each other. He had a plan, and it would hopefully allow him a lead later on in the race.

"Eat my dust, Tera," Clara grinned as she shot a few feet past her sister, "I dare you to try to catch up!"

"You're sure about that?" Tera shot back, pushing herself as hard as she could just to get even with Clara. She shouldn't have dived that low right off the bat. She took a few seconds to gain back some of the altitude she had lost, but by that point Clara was ahead again.

"I think so!" Clara shot back, grinning. However, Dusty was gaining speed and now only a few dozen feet behind the two sisters. As they rounded the corner and went into the straightaway of the bluffs, the air racer dove and in doing so, passed both of them.

"No!" Tera practically shrieked, now finding herself in last place, and from what it seemed like there was no way she could catch up. She had to, though. She had to win. Looking around, she found the bluff suited to her purposes. Climbing as high as she could for the amount of race left, she passed through the hole in the rock formation she'd noticed earlier. It was now or never. Pushing her engine beyond its limit and diving as fast as possible, she tried to get in front of Dusty and Clara… but she misjudged the distance and came down on Dusty's wing. Hard. It was all she could do to stop her own dive before she hit the ground, but before she knew it she was already beyond the finish point. She'd won.

Dusty, on the other hand, spiraled out of control and spun towards the ground. A glance back at his wing told him he'd taken a critical hit and yet adrenaline had not yet been drained and the pain was not felt. It was all the former crop duster could do to shout out a call to the tower for help and clearance for an emergency (and possible) crash landing. Of course, there was no possible way to turn back and wait to be cleared to land. It was all he could do just to turn around without falling out of the sky -and he was currently failing already. Bracing for impact to the ground, he suddenly felt the pain that had been blocked through the initial shock and lost all feeling in his wing besides pain…

The impact was something Dusty did not remember, for he'd lost consciousness before it had happened.

* * *

Tera whipped around the bluff, turning back to see where the others were… Clara was there, but not Dusty. That was when she saw him… on the ground. Her eyes widened in panic. "Dusty? No… nononono… that did _not_ just happen… I couldn't have… no," she said, not realizing her radio was still on, but when she did she quickly relayed where Dusty was before banking away from the situation. It wasn't like she could land… but she didn't want to be in the middle of it. Especially because it was her fault, and she knew it.

"Tera!" Clara yelled over the radio, "Where the heck are you going?" The plane pushed herself to catch up to her sister. "Tera, you have got to get down there now… even if you don't want to." She knew Tera well enough to know that she would rather choose flight than fight in any situation.

"I can't! It's all my fault, and everyone's gonna know it… I don't even know if he's alive or not…" She couldn't bring herself to look back, even if she'd looped around to be a bit closer to Clara. She still couldn't believe it, and every second that went by was another scenario that played in her mind… she wanted to cry… but she couldn't. Something in her told her not to. "What would Omega think? What would my dad think?" She was a horrible racer. Racers didn't hurt other racers. Ever.

Clara wanted so badly to look her sister in the eye and tell her that everything would be okay, but she knew that everything may not be all right after all. "Tera…" Clara was inwardly panicking herself, but she forced herself to keep a clear head for the time being, "If it were that Dusty was in critical shape… you have to say goodbye…" Then she added, "...and Tera, it was an accident. Racing is dangerous for everyone involved… and racers know that when they fly. It's a fact they all accept -that doesn't exclude Dusty."

"I don't wanna say goodbye again… and… just…" Tera couldn't word it… much less could she think. What she did know, though, is that the more she remembered what had happened… the more it seemed like she actually meant to hurt him at the time. What sounded like a helicopter started coming towards them, and eventually Tera brought herself to circle the scene with Clara to show him where Dusty was. That action, at least, didn't require explanation.


	5. Chapter 5

It'd taken what Tera thought was forever before she was even allowed in Dottie's workshop, which was probably the oddest turn of events Propwash had seen in a while… but even then, Dusty still hadn't woken up yet. Tera's initial panic had turned to simply worry after Dottie had said he was going to be okay… but that didn't help the guilt. Even though Clara had stayed with her, she didn't want to say anything about it to her or to anyone. As the two planes waited for the crop duster to regain consciousness, it was almost too much. "Crap… what am I supposed to say?" she said, trying not to sound more nervous than she was, but at the same time… she almost killed him.

Clara watched as Tera fidgeted worriedly. "I don't know…" she admitted hesitantly. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine… I guess I _didn't_ kill him, so that's a start."

"And Tera, even if you did hurt him, you didn't mean to," Clara agreed.

Tera was silent for a minute. She couldn't agree with what her sister had said… she didn't know if it was true or not herself. "...I just hope he wakes up soon."

It was at this moment that Dottie came out, "You can see him now." It was a quick exchange before she left again.

Tera was still nervous, but at the same time she was also relieved. If anything, she was just glad he wasn't dead… but she also couldn't admit truly what had happened. As she and Clara rolled into the room, she tried to figure out if she really _did_ mean it or not. Hopefully Dusty could forgive her. "Um… hi?" she said, being rather awkward.

Blue fire sparked in Dusty's eyes. "You nearly ripped my wing off! And for what? To win a race?"

"Dust-" Clara started, only to be interrupted.

"You're no better than Ripslinger was… or Ishani…" the racer growled, grimacing every time he moved, as his wing (which was still not fully repaired) knocked slightly against the lift holding it still. "What were you even thinking?"

Tera reversed a little, looking sheepishly down at her nose. She'd heard the stories of Ishani and Ripslinger… it hurt to be compared to them. "...I wasn't thinking… I was just trying to catch up to you and Clara and I was trying to find a way around you and I just…" There was no finishing the explanation. If she did she'd have to tell the truth. Given the time to figure out why it was that she'd hit Dusty in the first place… there was nothing else it could've been. "...I'm sorry…"

Dusty glared down his nose at her pointedly. "That was purposeful, you flew right into me. If it hadn't been, you would have been down with me…"

It took a minute for Tera to figure out what to say… she didn't want to believe it herself. "It wasn't supposed to be at first… I just wanted to throw you off track a little and-" she didn't even want to finish… it'd only make her sound more like a monster than she already was.

There were no words that Dusty could conjure up to describe the hatred he felt towards Tera in the moment -the betrayal. The only thing he could do was let the air between them simmer hot so that they both felt the pain. It was tangible, able to be touched, able to envelope them in its confines. "And you nearly tore my wing off doing so."

At that point, all Tera wanted to do was fly away again… but she couldn't. She hardly even had the words to say anything, even if the feeling in itself wasn't new. There was nothing that could have excused what she did, and she knew it all too well already. "...I didn't mean to knock you out of the sky… I just…"

"You just what?" Dusty whispered darkly.

She paused, wishing she didn't have to say what she knew was true. "...wanted to win."

"I'm done, Tera. It's over." It wasn't a harsh yell but a deadly statement, calm but filled with hatred and fueled by anger.

Hot tears stung Tera's eyes as she turned away, trying not to cry even though she already was. She ruined everything. It was all her own fault, and there was nothing she could do about it. There wasn't anything left to be said. "I have to go," she said, almost not trusting herself to speak, "...before I hurt someone else." The plane left the room - not caring if there was anyone following her - and started her engine, heading towards the runway… though to be honest with herself, she didn't know if she'd actually leave or not.

Clara cast a glare towards the orange plane, but didn't completely blame him either. Even so, she believed in her heart of hearts that Tera didn't mean to knock him out of the sky. Sure, she may have in the moment, but she wasn't thinking. Everyone had moments where they did something they regretted for some reason or another, this was just one of the most unlucky of times for it to happen. Turning away from the crop duster and towards the runway where Tera was taking off, she called back. "Tera! Wait!" She was quick to slide ahead of her sister as to block her from taking off.

"I _know_ I can't just leave," she practically growled, her sadness having turned to anger - about what, though, she wasn't sure. She tried to level her tone, cutting her engine soon after she realized her sister wasn't going to move. "I already pulled that crap once… but I don't know what else I can do. I can't… it doesn't…" she said, almost nonsensically, but she couldn't wrap her mind around what she was trying to say. Something was wrong. The only word that came to her mind was _error_.

"I'm afraid I don't know how I could help you," Clara admitted, "but running away is not the answer. Not this time."

"But then what _is_ the answer? I wanted to possibly _kill_ my boyfriend because I was losing a race! It was all on purpose… I'm not even regretting it. At all. You keep saying that I didn't mean to do it… when I did." The plane reversed a little, almost wanting to get away. She didn't want to lash out again… but she didn't know why she was so scared of it. She'd never hurt Clara… but she'd also never hurt Dusty until just a couple hours ago.

"So maybe you did," Clara said, " but you do regret it. You may not have for the purpose which you have done it, but you do regret it. Why else would you be trying to run away?" She rolled forwards a little, not afraid of Tera, or what she could do. "I don't know the answer, Tera, believe me I'm just as confused as you are… but shouldn't leave you asking questions rather than running from their answers?"

Tera couldn't think about anything… the questions Clara was asking her were so confusing, only making the single word from before more prominent in her mind… it was a word she'd never used before, unspoken as if it were a curse. The plane reversed more, trying to put distance between her and her sister. "...Error… something's an error…" she tried shaking the thought, but it was still there. There was no letting it go. "...I'm a racer… like you and Dusty… I shouldn't have done anything to hurt someone on purpose… racers run away, they don't start fights like I do!" The mix-breed looked almost horrified with herself. Not caring that she couldn't get to the runway anymore, she turned away. "...how can I not run from an answer like that."

"If you run," Clara said evenly, even though her mind was racing with similar calculations, "then those questions will never be answered. That may just be worse than having them answered…"

Tera sighed a little… Clara was right, even if she didn't want to admit it right away. She did want, however, for there to be a solution to all the questions, the glitches in logic that just didn't add up. "I know… but…" she said, trying to finish her sentence, but gaps between connections made it even more difficult than normal. "... I guess I just needed space to think," she finished, giving up on trying to address the underlying problem. It was too complex. "I can't believe that Dusty-" she cut herself off. It was her fault to begin with… she understood, but at the same time was still in denial. "Nevermind. I probably gotta go find Teeva and get her back over to Omega's hangar, anyways."

Clara nodded, "And Tera, we'll figure this whole thing out, okay? There has to be an answer…"

"I think there is… I just don't know if I'm gonna like it or not," Tera replied. Perhaps that was why she wanted to run from the answers… a sick feeling accompanied every question she mentally asked, almost to the point of dread. Now that she'd made the decision to chase those answers, it made her even more worried. Everything she knew could be completely wrong. All she could do was try not to think about it for the time being.

She turned away, concentrating instead on trying to find Teeva… though she already knew it probably wouldn't take much looking… even if she hadn't left her in Dusty's hangar, which she wasn't sure if she had or not, the dog would probably end up waiting somewhere not too far away. At least it was better than thinking about what she already knew was true.


	6. Chapter 6

It'd been at least a week or so since Tera had the conversation with Clara. She'd moved back into Omega's hangar, and while she still had her sister to talk to for the most part, she had a lot more time to spend alone or with Teeva, who seemed to be warming up to her. She didn't exactly know if the extra time to herself was a bad thing or not… if Dusty had broken up with her right off the bat, it was pretty obvious that the relationship wasn't going to work. Even if it still hurt. A lot.

Being forced to turn in earlier than she normally did out of sheer boredom, it also meant that her sleeping was still erratic. Nightmares plagued her since Omega died, and now they were even more prevalent without Dusty there.

This time was worse than most. "W-who are you?!" The plane was nearly paralyzed in fear, and to anyone else, she was staring at the wall in front of her. It wasn't anything she was seeing, though-it was a voice. Upon closing her eyes, it was like she was in the same room with it, its form being something she'd never seen before. It looked like herself... but it wasn't. It couldn't be.

"I'm your conscience. You're not a racer, you idiot. You've literally been wasting your life chasing this crazy dream. It's NOT your directive," it scolded her, the plane continuing to encroach. Tera couldn't move back, she couldn't open her eyes to end the nightmare, and, worst of all, she was defenseless. "You are a WARRIOR! Your pathetic crying's NOT changing this, and it's making you even WEAKER than you already are! I can't even believe I let myself be compromised like this!"

"Why are you telling me this?!" she blurted back. "How the heck are you me?!"

The figment of her imagination chuckled, the grey jet coming ever closer to Tera, its nose now mere inches away from her own. "I'm how you're _supposed_ to be... but don't worry about it too much. Tony'll be more than happy to help, starting with getting rid of that stupid propeller."

"I'M NOT A FIGHTER!"

"You were. And you will be soon. Until it happens... I have my ways to convince you." The plane had a threatening glint in her eye, smirking a little. "If you liked making your little friend plow into the ground, you haven't seen anything yet. Vacation's over, Teresa."

"Don't call me that! I don't even know what the heck you are except some sick nightmare. I could kill you if I wanted… I control the dream."

"Try me."

Tera obliged the jet, trying with all her might to charge at her, but she still couldn't move. Trying to imagine her away didn't work, either.

"See? I control _you_ , especially when those pesky emotions get in the way. You're using more computing power on _those_ than anything else, when you could be using it on tactics in general."

"Get out of my system. Now."

"Oh-ho! I knew you could still fight, but you can command, too! Maybe you're not a total loss! I'm not leaving, though. Call it tough love."

"I _hate_ you."

"I don't care." The world started looking almost wavy, the dream itself beginning to break up. "But now it's time for you to wake up. Can't wait to see what the outside world's like for myself a bit more often."

Tera couldn't fight to stay in the dream anymore, her eyes snapping open to reveal she was still in her hangar... well, Omega's hangar, but she was still alone with the exception of Teeva. Teeva. She couldn't let herself hurt her. Leaving the dog sleeping in her bed, the plane slipped quietly outside the hangar, glad to see that no one else was out and about. It was better that way. They'd be safe from her… and maybe if she flew enough she could force the nightmare to go away on her own.


	7. Chapter 7

The mix-breed almost crashed to the ground when she landed for the night… she'd been in the air for a record time, having taken off before the sun had even come up. Sure, she'd met other planes just flying around for fun… but Dusty wouldn't speak to her, and she didn't feel like talking to Clara because she was always around Foxtrot.

Something was wrong this time, though… her movement was so restricted it could've only been her hydraulics beginning to give out. Again. However, she could indeed still move if she focused hard enough, so she decided that instead of refueling for the next day, she should probably just give in to the need of sleep she normally pushed aside until a little later. She probably looked tired enough for Dottie to give her the benefit of the doubt if she were to see her.

"Nice try." Of course, Dottie was out by the runway, having been talking to one of the other forklifts that worked in the tower. Tera didn't even have a chance. "And you thought I hadn't learned that look by now. Come on, if it's just that line it shouldn't take long."

"But-"

"No."

The plane almost growled, getting off the runway before still trying to head back to her hangar. She didn't make it very far before she realized that her main line wasn't going to hold for as long as she thought. The plane grimaced, knowing that Dottie was still waiting, a stern look on her face. "You're sure it's not going to take forever?"

"I'm not repeating myself, Tera. You're going to get yourself stuck somewhere again if you keep putting it off."

The plane glared at Dottie for a moment, but silently went to the Fill N' Fly anyways. She almost made it to the hangar when the line gave out completely, a small trail of hydraulic fluid running out from under the panel on Tera's side, the small amount of movement she had left quickly disappearing. "Don't even say it."

"What did I tell you?" Dottie said, Tera actually growling in response as the forklift helped her the rest of the way into the workshop. Dottie didn't think much of it. It was Tera. "How many times is it so far?"

"Five."

"Five too many." Dottie had the process down to a science at this point. She pulled out another replacement line, which she now kept in excess stock, though she was already forming a lecture at the same time. "You're working yourself way too hard. Being in the air all day is too much for just about anyone."

"I know, but-"

"No excuses. Since Omega died and the incident with Dusty, you've hardly even landed long enough to sleep. People notice things like that, especially when you've worn out more hydraulic lines in the past month than most do in a lifetime."

"I know I fly a lot! I get it!" It was clear that Tera was only becoming more irritated as time went on. Not being able to move made her extremely vulnerable and she hated it. Especially because it happened every time her hydraulics went out. "Can you just fix the stupid line so I can go?"

"Not until you listen and promise to do what I say," Dottie said, not even waiting for a response before continuing, "I'm recommending you for counselling. I'll talk to Otter and settle a time, but you have to get through this. You're turning into a danger to the town with the way you're acting."

"I am not!"

"If your hydraulics rupture when you're in-flight? If you suddenly decide to knock someone else out of the sky?"

Tera was silent, almost as if she was trying to push thoughts out of her mind, but also because Dottie had hit a soft spot. Just about everyone knew how she'd hurt Dusty, and occasionally she still got mean looks from other residents of the town. The plane had only become more withdrawn because of it… there wasn't anything to be said.

"I'm taking that as a 'yes, I'll listen for once'?" Dottie asked, to which Tera nodded as best as she could. At this point, Dottie knew, it was just to get out of the workshop. "Good, because I'm grounding you for psychological reasons until Otter gives you the clear."

The plane scoffed. " _Psychological_ reasons? That's a new one." Of course, she intended on being in the sky again before the tower could even tell her off for it. No big deal.

"Oh, and that was the other thing. If you don't stay on the ground, I'll take your propeller off again."

"What?!"

"It worked last time, didn't it? You can't be flying if you're going to be a danger to yourself or others."

"But how am I gonna race if I can't fly?!"

"You're not." Dottie said, finishing replacing the line Tera had originally broken, the plane's movement returning abruptly.

Tera still growled a little regardless. "This is so stupid," she said, trying to refrain from yawning… she was exhausted from the day's flying, and it was already past sunset.

"Go home and sleep on it. It's not stupid, it's keeping the sky safe."

"Like I said: stupid." The plane rolled her eyes, leaving the hangar in a huff.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, it'd taken all the willpower in the world and a loaded threat from Dottie to keep Tera on the ground at first. She'd been told to wait at the Fill N' Fly until Otter showed up, but she just couldn't sit still without thinking too much, which was the one thing she wanted to stop. The _last_ thing she wanted to do was think, but there wasn't anything else to do and no one else to talk to… but even then, talking required thinking. Flying didn't. Flying was instinct.

Trying to distract herself, she instead focused on the road, wondering where Otter was and how much longer she'd have to wait. More than anything, she just wanted to get the clearance to fly again. However she was supposed to do that in the first place.

It was still a few painful minutes before the blind plane arrived at his slow crawl. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized to what seemed to be no one in particular. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're Tera. Right?"

"That's what everyone calls me," she responded quickly, already sounding somewhat annoyed, "I don't know what I have to do, but I really just wanna get this over with." The plane watched as others took off from the runway that she was banned from. And for what? Flying _too much_? There were planes that could fly for 24 hours straight if they had to, and _they_ weren't grounded for it.

"Well, for one," Otter started, slowly taking a place next to Tera, "you've got to be willing to listen, as well as open up. I don't mind if you speak your opinion on me, what's happening, or anything else, but you have to make sure it's what you really believe. I've also got to tell you that anything I say is not because I want to hurt you or make you feel bad, but because you have to let go before you can rebuild. I don't really know you," he admitted, "but from what I've heard you need someone to tell something to you straight. No loopholes, no half truths. Alright?"

Tera didn't like those rules. "No half-truths? Fine. I'd _really_ rather be flying right now, or pretty much anywhere else _except_ here." Of course there were some exceptions, but the point still stood. That, and she didn't have much to lose in the first place. The only thing on her mind was getting back in the air again, and it was only irritating her more because she knew she couldn't.

"I know," Otter chuckled gently, "I have that effect on some people. Not typically because I'm a counselor…" He sighed, "Thing is, though, that you can't. I know you know that, but it's a big factor in this. Flying is an escape for you, I think… a way to escape reality. But what are you running from? You might have hurt Dusty, yes, and even if it wasn't an accident it still happened, and you can't keep running from that. But if I'm correct, that's not the only reason you're here, is it? Tera, I know what I've heard, but I haven't heard it from you. I know it sounds almost creepy, but I have to be able to get inside your head before I can help you at all."

The plane paused for a moment, running calculations as fast as she could to try and figure out something simple to say… the truth but also a lie. No. That'd be considered a half-truth… but at the same time she wasn't going to break. Not that easily. But she didn't have a choice. _Or you could just kill him, then you wouldn't have to worry about it_ , she thought, though she instantly tried to force the idea out of her mind. She'd had a lot of musings like that lately, many of which even scaring her out of her sleep on some occasions. She sighed, settling on something small to say. Maybe that'd be enough for now, even if it sounded childish. "...I guess I'm still sad about Omega…"

"For good reason," Otter said gently, "and though I can't stop you from mourning, you do have to let go. It will be hard, and that doesn't mean you'll ever stop missing him, but it's one step closer to getting you back in the air. And before you go getting any ideas that this'll be simple, pushing past grief is anything but."

 _Only one step? Crap… it didn't work. Wait, why are you even talking in the first place? You don't talk to the enemy!_ She kept going back and forth in her mind, regardless of what Otter was saying, she was trying to find a loophole. The whole purpose of this was apparently to expose her weakness, which was the last thing she wanted happening, even if it felt like it already was. And she couldn't let go of Omega. She just couldn't. Why had she brought that up? "...I don't wanna let go, though… the only other thing I have is racing, and now it doesn't matter if I'm even entered in the next competition or not. I was supposed to get the letter by tonight." She couldn't stop thinking about being grounded… flying really _was_ an escape for her. She didn't have acknowledge anything when she was in the air, and it impeded on any other thoughts she had, even if she wasn't… everything connected back to flying. Everything.

"Then that is the reason you should let go. You might not want to let go, but the fact of the matter is that he's..." Realizing he'd started to raise his voice, he remained quiet for a time. "The truth is... I lost... I lost a good friend, as well, and... he died because of my own stupidity. I haven't... I can't... I struggle to let that fact remain in the past. It's difficult to let those you care about go, and I'm as guilty as anyone for looking back. You might not be able to let go, but don't let that control you."

"But how? The only way I can _not_ think about it is if…" Tera turned away, realizing that she'd slipped in her goal of not cracking. She hated herself for it. "...I fly 'till I can't think anymore."

"How do you keep from thinking about the less important facts of life? The less painful? I'd suggest trying to fill your negative thoughts with positive ones. Focus on the better rather than the worse."

 _Error. Internal error._ Every time she tried doing what Otter was saying, she could only think back to the dreaded word. "This is stupid. It's not working," she said bitterly, looking back to the runway, wishing that she could just take off.

"It doesn't just happen," Otter replied evenly, "you need to allow yourself time to replace your current underlying thoughts. However, based on your reaction, I'd guess that Omega's death and your situation with Dusty, that's not the only thing on your mind."

"I… I can't explain." If she did, it'd probably mean an even longer time before she could fly again. Or never. Tera didn't even know what was wrong... or why she kept defaulting back to flight mode. Just _error_. It felt like a death sentence.

"Can you at least try?" Otter asked gently.

 _Internal error. Don't reveal your weaknesses to the enemy. Ever._ "Nevermind… it's nothing. I just really want to fly again. I can't stop thinking about...error…" Tera was doing all she could to say the word as quietly as possible, even if she felt like she wanted to scream. It wouldn't leave her alone, but at the same time she knew it wasn't normal. Whatever it was, it was bad.

The word couldn't escape Otter's ears, however. "Error..." he repeated softly. "Hmmm... Well, I can't give Dottie the all clear on your flight, but I think we can be done for today." Closing his already blind eyes in contemplation, he sighed. "Tera, if you can't stop thinking about what's bothering you, then at least stop isolating yourself from your friends. You're not alone in this, okay? And if ever you need someone to talk to, you can come to me. Alright?"

"What's so wrong with me that I can't fly. I don't get it. It's torture," Tera said, turning away slightly. She was hoping it was a one-time thing to try to keep her from breaking parts so often. _What the heck even IS an error?! Just. Stop. Thinking. About. It._

Otter sighed a second time. "You'd fly until you crashed if nobody were to stop you. I'll have a word with Dottie, but I'm afraid she'll make the same ruling." A bitter thought flashed through his head. _You should be grateful, really, to be able to fly at all._

The plane looked hopelessly down at her nose. Tera knew she flew too much for her own good… but she felt like she couldn't do anything else. _ERROR._ "...but I'm a plane… I'm supposed to fly… I can't stay on the ground forever."

"And you won't, I promise." Otter replied gently.

"It still feels like it, though." Staring as planes took off and landed mockingly on the runway just in the distance, there was nothing more she wanted to do than fly. She couldn't. Dottie would take her propeller if she did, which meant further humiliation. "I guess if I'm done for today… I should probably go." There wasn't much else for her to do, but regardless, she thought she saw a mail truck driving around… she was supposed to be getting a confirmation letter for the next race, even if it didn't matter much anymore. She couldn't fly. _ERROR._

"Alright. Same time tomorrow?"

"It's not like I have anything better to do," Tera replied, rolling her eyes as she left the Fill N' Fly and headed back to her hangar. She knew Otter had told her to talk to some friends, but they were all up flying around at this time of day, likely having so much fun they don't know what to do. Not her. She was stuck. On the ground. For who knows how long.


	9. Chapter 9

Meanwhile, Otter had made sure to tell Dottie about the most pressing of his concerns. "Error... That's what she said, was error. I don't know what that means, and that's worrying me. Not even the word, but how she said it." The blind plane was pacing, which was dangerous in such a small place. "Do you have any ideas for me?" He asked Dottie.

"First off, stop pacing," the forklift said quickly, stopping Otter before he knocked a piece of equipment off a shelf with his wing. "And second, that's why I needed you to talk to her. The amount of flight hours she was logging might have meant there was a problem with her programming, which you just confirmed… but now she needs to throw the code itself if we're ever going to figure out _what_ it is."

Otter did as he was told, halting dutifully in the middle of the room. "I can't just go asking, you know... but I don't know what to do with her either. What she needs is to be able to see that flying isn't everything, but I don't think it's possible considering the circumstances."

"That would be like asking Leadbottom to do something other than dust crops until either he breaks down or runs out of fertilizer. Trust me, I've tried. Was there anything else that she could focus on besides flying?"

"Not that would help her psychologically. Poor plane's been through alot… and I've got a feeling things aren't going to get any better around here for a while." Otter always had a 'sixth sense' about things that most planes didn't have, but he hardly ever shared his hunches or worries. Dottie was really the only one, due to the fact Otter depended so much on her mechanically. Since the crash that stole his eyesight, more than one thing had gone wrong internally. "I know there's a way to get through to her, but first I need to get her to tell me what exactly's wrong... there's something she's not telling me. That much I know."

Dottie already understood where Otter was coming from. Even if she was going off of facts and symptoms and Otter going off of his own readings, she was beginning to assume the same thing. "There's something she's not telling _anyone_ … and until she breaks and says it, I can't let her fly. Especially because you're already picking up on it… I don't want to be subjective, but every single time, you've been right about things like this. You're just going to have to keep talking to her and see if you can figure it out. And if she throws a code of any sort, tell me."

"Rodger that," Otter agreed. "But I don't know how I'm ever going to get that information. She's a strong plane, and while I know she'll be able to get past this, she's not ready to share any weakness. Tera's a fighter at heart, but a racer at mind... and a confused plane can be unpredictable."

Dottie nodded slightly in agreement before she realized who she was talking to. "Fighters are a pain… that one especially. Maybe helping her figure out _what_ she is might help, too… I can already tell you that she's been banned from the rest of this racing season until she can get her act together. She doesn't know yet… it might be a topic of discussion when she gets the letter." It didn't even need to be mentioned that Dusty had a say in keeping Tera out of racing. Dottie couldn't blame him after what happened, and, to be honest, she agreed.

"It's for the best," Otter agreed, then sighed. "But I'm not sure that forcing her to stay completely out of the air is the best thing, either. I'm not going to jump to conclusions, but if I can't help her, I might have to assign another jet to fly with her for a bit. That is, with your consent. I don't want her up there long enough to run away from her problems, but it might ultimately help her move past whatever's bothering her."

"If you can convince someone to do that, it would probably be alright. She just can't be a disruption to air traffic or a danger to anyone… but who did you have in mind?" Of course, there were few jets that actually _lived_ in Propwash, so that aspect alone already narrowed it down.

"I don't know… I'd do it if I could, but you very well know I can't. I don't think Foxtrot is even an option, but at least I know he can be responsible if he needs to be. Who else is there?"

Dottie thought for a minute. "Her sister might be willing. She's not a jet, but she'd probably be able to handle her."

"I hope she is, because I have a feeling that being completely grounded isn't good for her, either. However, I'd still recommend only putting the smallest amounts of fuel for flight possible."

"Agreed… but if I allow this, I have to be sure that this isn't going to be a hazard to the airport or other planes. If she is, I won't have a choice but to ground her until you can clear her completely. No second chances. Understood?"

"Absolutely. I don't want her to fly again yet, either. She needs to figure out how to deal with or at least ignore the problem for short periods of time. Right now she's got her mind on too many things at once."

"Goodness knows that's true. Maybe getting her to stop avoiding mechanics might be a nice idea, too." A forklift could dream, couldn't she?

Otter chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm not a miracle worker."

"As long as you're sure," she replied jokingly, "Well, I wish you luck… it might be a miracle on its own if you can get through to her."

"I don't need luck. I just need her to listen."


End file.
